1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting bait on the end of a fishline.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In fishing, both as a hobby and on a commercial basis, bait is routinely mounted on a hook secured to the end of a fishline wound about a reel. To catch some species of fish, shrimp are utilized as bait. The hook and shrimp are lowered into the water and the shrimp serves as bait to entice a fish to seize the shrimp, and thereby become snagged by the mouth on the hook. Typically, the hook is fastened by a knot at one end of a short fishing leader line and a loop is tied in the opposite end of the leader line. A snap swivel having a releasable clip is attached to the free end of the main fishing line and the loop of the leader line may be releasably engaged in the catch of the snap swivel clip. The use of leader lines allows different sizes of hooks to be easily mounted on the free end of the main fishing line. Also, the use of fishing leaders facilitates replacement of hooks which may become lost or snagged.
One problem which has persisted in utilizing live fishing bait, such as shrimp, is the difficulty in securely fastening the bait onto a hook. In conventional practice the barb of the hook is placed through the body of the bait, such as a shrimp, and the shrimp is held on means of the hook. However, it is well known that such a conventional manner of attachment is relatively insecure. When bait, particularly a relatively massive bait such as a shrimp, is secured to a hook only by engagement of the barb of the hook through the bait, the bait frequently tears loose upon the application of only a slight force, since the flesh of the shrimp is relatively weak when the hook is pulled laterally thereagainst. Oftentimes a fisherman is unaware that the bait has been lost from his hook, and will spend fruitless periods of time fishing with an unbaited hook. Many fishermen, cognizant of the likelihood that bait is likely to become dislodged from their hooks, frequently draw their baited hooks to the surface of the water to check to be sure that the bait is still in place. This technique, while certainly justifiable so as to avoid fishing with an unbaited hook, results in repeated stress upon the flesh of the bait where the barb of the hook is engaged. This aggravates the already acute problem of lost bait. As a result, conventional live bait fishing techniques involve a significant loss of bait due to the inadequate methods of attachment of bait to hooks.